Rafale

Once finalised, the Rafale-M deal will enable the Indian Navy to operate these aircraft from its indigenous carrier, INS Vikrant, and potentially INS Vikramaditya

An IAF Rafale jet recently shot down a Chinese balloon using a missile at an altitude of nearly 55,000 feet on the eastern front near China

India and France are nearing the conclusion of a deal for 26 Rafale Marine jets for the Indian Navy, with Paris reportedly providing New Delhi with its final price offer for the aircraft

Local partners like the Tata Group and AIESL are also involved in setting up these domestic MRO projects, while changes in taxation policy are expected to give the ecosystem a fillip

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The Indian Navy will operate the Rafale M jets from its INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya aircraft carriers

France had submitted its response to India's tender for buying 26 Rafale Marine jets for the Indian Navy's aircraft carriers - INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya in December itself

Serbia is close to signing a deal on the purchase of 12 French Rafale multi-purpose fighter jets, the Serbian president announced Tuesday, in what would mark a shift from its traditional military supplier Russia. President Aleksandar Vucic spoke during his two-day visit to Paris and talks with French President Emmanuel Macron as well as French defense officials including Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation. Vucic said that he had a very good conversation with Macron on Monday night, which lasted more than three hours, and that they reached concrete agreements regarding the purchase of the Rafale fighter jets. He said contracts will be signed in the next two months in Macron's presence, adding that the purchase of the sophisticated jets will drastically widen military and other cooperation between the two states. Financial details of the potential deal have not been announced, but the pro-government Serbian media estimated it at about 3 billion euro ($3.2 billion) for the whole ..

The Indian Air Force will display its full spectrum of combat and fire capabilities during Exercise Vayu Shakti-2024 at the Pokharan range close to the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan on February 17. Fighter jet Rafale, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand and Apache attack helicopters will be among the assets taking part in the exercise for the first time, Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal A P Singh told reporters here. The triennial exercise will take place for 2.15 hours during the day, dusk and night, he said. "We plan to conduct this Exercise Vayu Shakti 2024 to showcase the full spectrum of operations that Indian aerospace power can undertake. And, it is going to be conducted in a near-realistic scenario," Air Marshal Singh said. More than 100 aircraft will participate in the exercise this year including support aircraft and stand-by assets on ground, he said. These will include all the new, indigenously manufactured or designed aircraft, such as 'Tejas', Advanced Li

As New Delhi and Paris looked to expand strategic partnership, French defence major Thales on Friday said it is bringing its "trusted" high-tech capabilities to India and plans to set up an avionics MRO in Delhi to provide world class services to its airline customers. Vice President and Country Director of Thales India Ashish Saraf said the company is fully committed and mobilised to support the modernisation and indigenisation efforts that are underway in the Indian aerospace and defence sector. In their talks in Jaipur on Thursday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron resolved to further shore up bilateral strategic cooperation, especially in areas of defence, security, trade and clean energy. Macron was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations at the Kartavya Path on Friday. Saraf described the decision to set up the avionics MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) in Delhi as a "key initiative" and asserted that Thales would fully .

Two Rafale fighter jets flanked by a multi-role tanker transport aircraft of the French Space and Air Force roared through Delhi's sky as India celebrated its 75th Republic Day at a grand parade on Friday with French President Emmanuel Macron gracing it as the chief guest. As soon as around 95 French troops marched down the Kartavya Path at the heart of the national capital, the whizzing warplanes pierced the morning sky making thousands of spectators crane their necks in wonder. A 30-member band contingent from France also drew attention at the grand parade. It was the second time the French armed forces participated in India's Republic Day celebrations. In 2016, French troops became the first foreign military contingent to participate in the biggest ceremonial event of the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the guest of honour at the prestigious Bastille Day Parade in Paris in July last year. The Indian Air Force's Rafale fighter jets and a tri-services marching contingen

India firmed up defence procurement worth over Rs 3.50 lakh crore in 2023 as the lingering border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh as well as the crises and conflicts around the world kept the military focused on ways to enhance the country's overall combat prowess to firmly deal with any security challenges. India also went on an overdrive in expanding its military engagement with like-minded countries in its neighbourhood and beyond in the face of China's relentless attempts to become a regional hegemon and establish its primacy in South Asia. The Indian troops guarding the nearly 3,500 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) maintained an assertive approach as the eastern Ladakh border spilled into the fourth year even as both sides held several rounds of high-level military and diplomatic talks to resolve it. The face-off between the two of the planet's biggest military forces mainly continued in Demchok and Depsang regions though both sides completed disengagement in several other

India issued a letter of request in October for acquisition of 22 single-seat jets and four twin-seat trainers

The Eastern Command of the Indian Air Force said that it had activated its air defence response mechanism

As per the proposal, the Indian Navy will get 22 single-seated Rafale Marine aircraft along with four trainer aircraft

Various aspects of India's proposed purchase of 26 naval variant of the Rafale aircraft are likely to be discussed during a two-day visit to New Delhi by Eric Trappier, the chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, the maker of the jet, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday. Trappier arrives in Delhi on Monday to hold negotiations on the procurement, they said. In July, the defence ministry approved the purchase of the Rafale (marine) jets from France, primarily for deployment on board the indigenously-built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also pay a four-day visit to Italy and France beginning Monday to expand bilateral strategic engagements and explore industrial cooperation for joint development of military hardware. The proposed procurement of the Rafale jets by India is also likely to figure during Singh's talks with his French counterpart, Sebastian Lecornu, in Paris. It is learnt that Trappier is likely to meet Defence Secretary Giri

Over 100 aircrafts, including the Rafale fighter jets, will be part of an air show to be held here next week to commemorate the completion of 91st year of the IAF, Air Marshal RGK Kapoor said on Monday. Kapoor, who is Air Marshal, headquarters, Central Air Command, reached the Sangam area here on Monday with a cycle rally to spread awareness about the air show to be held on October 8. This year the Air Force is completing the 91st year of its establishment, to commemorate which an air show is being organised here on October 8 in the Sangam area, Kapoor told reporters. Earlier our air show used to be held in Hindon (Ghaziabad) where only people from Delhi and its surrounding areas could see this air show. But this time we are organising it in Prayagraj. Since the Sangam confluence area is very large, a large number of people will be able to enjoy the air show here, he said. Kapoor said Prayagraj was chosen for the event for several reasons, including the presence of the Central Air

For the first time after India cleared the proposal to buy 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the Indian Navy, a team headed by French defence ministry officials met their Indian counterparts here

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that the Rafale deal got him a "ticket to the Bastille Day Parade" while the BJP, hitting back at the Congress leader, dubbed him a "frustrated dynast" and accused him of sullying the ambitious 'Make in India' drive. Union minister Smriti Irani reacted furiously to the Congress leader's barb at the prime minister over the Rafale purchase and the tense situation in Manipur. Gandhi tweeted, "Manipur burns. EU Parliament discusses India's internal matter. PM hasn't said a word on either! Meanwhile, Rafale gets him a ticket to the Bastille Day Parade." Attacking the former Congress president, Irani tweeted, "A man who seeks international intervention in India's internal matters, a frustrated dynast who sullies the 'Make in India' ambition mocks India when our PM receives a National honour. Rejected by people, he seethes as defence contracts no longer land at the doorstep of the dynasty." Irani had defeated .

The Indian government announced the selection of the naval variant of Rafale jets to equip the Indian Navy with the latest-generation fighter, Dassault Aviation, French aerospace major and maker of the aircraft, said on Saturday. The defence ministry had on Thursday approved the purchase of 26 Rafale (marine) jets from France. There was no mention of the procurement of Rafale jets in a document released following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday. "The Indian Government announced the selection of the Navy Rafale to equip the Indian Navy with a latest-generation fighter," Dassault Aviation said in a statement. It said the decision came after a "successful trial campaign held in India, during which the Navy Rafale demonstrated that it fully met the Indian Navy's operational requirements and was perfectly suited to the specificities of its aircraft carrier". "The Indian Navy's 26 Rafale will eventually join the 36 Rafale already in .